Homemade Mushroom, Arugula, & Ricotta Ravioli with Garlic Basil Olive Oil

Why. Whoa is me. Why oh why did I think, the first day coming off of a flu that I should make homemade Mushroom, Spinach, and ravioli? I mean seriously folks. Sometimes, I absolutely know that I’ve lost my mind. This was one of them.

But I digress. I know this wonderful blogger, Sarah from A Taste of Home Cooking who takes the time to organize fun bi-weekly recipe swaps. It’s a lot of work as I’ve hosted a couple so I am extremely appreciative. The category this time? Pasta. I submitted my Penne & Arugula in a Tomato Cream Sauce & got this delicious recipe from Melissa @Fried Ice & Donut Holes: Homemade Mushroom, Spinach, & Ricotta Ravioli with Rosemary Olive Oil. I read the title & knew my hubby would love the filling. He loves, loves, loves shrooms.

Here we are back to my story. So I am all excited to make these. At first, because of time, I have reservations in the supermarket. Should I buy wonton wrappers, pre-made, to make these? Then decide no. Melissa does say that these are easy. I bet they are when the kitchen isn’t post-flu cyclone with a runny-nose toddler craving mommy attention! LOL. Well, I threw my best pasta mound forward (thank you Mario Batali for teaching me the volcano/center crater for water/ pasta-making action! And thank goodness for my quartz countertops that make prep & cleanup easy!

Glad the countertops were so easy to clean because when I looked in the mirror, I looked like a “The Who” t-shirt/jeans wearing geisha with all of the flour on me. Then I noticed my tot had it on him too. OK. Well, besides the flour I made the rolled-out pasta too thick. & ugly. I knew it was too thick when hubby took a bite… I waited & he said, “No, it’s good. Kind of like pierogi.” HA HA. Ravioli like pierogi? This is bad. Though he enjoyed them but would prefer “sauce” over the olive oil which I had already adapted for HIM from Melissa’s rosemary-infused to basil-infused (I would have liked the rosemary, lol).

All in all a good, homemade pasta dinner that only took me… wait for it… an hour to make! Yes, I am fast. I would use the filling again (also would be great for a stuffed mushroom appy!) but I would buy pre-made ravioli wrappers. Buitoni has them! I am a scratch-made girl but some things I like getting from the experts. Pasta being one, yeast-made bread the other.

Thank you Melissa for a fun & delicious recipe! And thanks, Sarah for the swap.

Homemade Mushroom, Arugula, & Ricotta Ravioli with Garlic Basil Olive Oil

Slightly adapted from Fried Ice & Donut Holes

For the Dough:

• 3 Eggs
• 1 1/2 c Flour
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• Water

(I have to say, I am printing Melissa’s instructions below BUT I used Mario Batali’s Method ):

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs.  Then, stir in the flour & salt.  Add water as needed, until a soft dough is formed.  *Be careful not to add too much water here. Knead the dough several times, then separate it into two large pieces.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the dough into a very thin rectangle.  Spoon your filling by the teaspoonful at 1 1/2 inch intervals on top of the piece of rolled out dough.  Moisten your fingers with a little bit of water & wet the dough slightly around the circle of filling, to help the dough stick together when you top it.  Take the second piece of dough, roll it out into another very thin rectangle &carefully drape it over the top of the filling.  Slice the dough into individual raviolis, securing the edges with a gentle press.  At this step, the ravioli can be frozen or cooked immediately.  To cook, bring a pot of water to a boil.  Gently slide the ravioli one by one into the boiling water and cook for 6-8 minutes.  Serve immediately.

For the Filling:

• 1 TBSp Olive Oil
• 2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
• 1 package (8 ounces) Mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 package (6 ounces) Baby Arugula, finely chopped
• 1 c Ricotta Cheese
• 1/4 c Parmesan, grated
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• Ground Pepper, to taste

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil &cook the garlic for about one minute.  Add the mushrooms & arugula, & cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes.  Remove from heat & pour into a medium bowl.Stir in the ricotta, parmesan, salt, & pepper.

Using the same sauté pan:

For the Basil Olive Oil:

• Few pinches dried basil
• 3-5 Garlic Cloves, crushed (I used 3)
• 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/2 c Olive Oil

On low, heat the oil. Add in the basil, garlic, & pepper & on low heat, allow the flavors to meld for a few minutes.

Drizzle over freshly cooked ravioli in place of sauce.

Arugula Rollatini

I love arugula. I love it because of its peppery-ness. It’s also rich in vitamin C & potassium, both very much needed during the winter months, I might add! Spinach is delightful, but many times, for more flavor, I’ll sub arugula. Baby arugula is amazing as salad. Mix it with fresh parmesan & a little good olive oil & there is so much taste! Of course, that is simple but speaks wonders for the punch of this tiny green.

With all of the meatless days in Lent, I look for nutritious & delicious ideas to get out of the, “OK, pizza again!” rut. This is a new one I came up with & it’s a winner…
Arugula Rollatini

   

Rollatini is a completely made up word. No, really, it is not Italian. Really. But I absolutely love it. It usually refers to thin slices of eggplant rolled up with filling but I’ve inserted it here for my lasagna rolls, my “tinis”.

<3 Lishie

Arugula Rollatini

• 1 lb box of lasagna noodles
• 2 c baby arugula
• 2 c marinara sauce, divided
• 1 c ricotta cheese
• 1/2 c shredded cheese mixture (I used mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, fontina, romano & asiago)
• fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cook the lasagna noodles till al dente, separating the noodles as they cook. Keep them in one piece, be careful! Remove from the water & lay them either over the edge of a large colander or on paper towels to dry. Add the arugula leaves to the still boiling water for 2 minutes, remove from water & drain well (you will also want to squeeze out any excess water).

In a medium bowl, combine the cheeses, cooked arugula & the parsley; This is the filling. Set Aside.

Prep a baking dish with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the prepped dish with 1 cup pasta sauce.

Lay out one lasagna noodle. Lightly spread the filling over the noodle. Taking one end of the pasta, carefully begin rolling the noodle, while tucking back in any escaping filling. Place the rolled lasagna “tini” opening-side down onto the the baking dish.

Repeat with all of the remaining noodles.

After all of the tinis are in the baking dish, top with the last cup of sauce & sprinkle with a little cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is browned & the sauce & tini filling is bubbling.

Penne with Arugula in Tomato-Cream Sauce

Tonight I revisited a favorite of ours- adapted from Penne with Arugula in a Tomato-Cream Sauce by Mary Beth Clark. Mary Beth is a friend of my hubby's & mine, a great chef & she has her own (International) Cooking School in Italy as well as her own cookbook: "Casual Cuisines of the World - Trattoria" in which this recipe is featured. 

Creamy/tomato-y goodness!

I tweak the recipe, as always, to my family's sensibilities. Here's my take:

Penne with Arugula in Tomato-Cream Sauce

• 1 TBSp Olive Oil
• 3 oz. Pancetta, thinly sliced & chopped
• 1 (14 oz. can) Diced Tomatoes
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 oz. Baby Arugula, chopped
• S & P
• 1 lb. Penne

Boil the water for the penne on a separate burner. While the water's boiling...

In a small sauce pan on medium-high heat, saute the pancetta. When slightly browned & crisp, add the diced tomatoes. Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the cream, blending it. Simmer another minute, then add the arugula. Simmer until the arugula wilts then season with S & P. 

When the pasta water is boiling, add the penne & cook till al dente. Drain the pasta. Serve the penne topped with the sauce. 

This is sooooo delicious... 

*Lishie tips- Adjust the cream to your desired taste! 

Now read Mary Beth's tips here.